Computing networks are becoming ubiquitous in enterprises, providing secure and cost-effective access to resources. Those networks usually have one or more controllers, each controller supporting a plurality of routers, network switches, wireless access points (AP), etc. deployed through the enterprise. A wireless fidelity (WiFi) network operating in accordance with IEEE 802.11 standards is an example of such a network.
In order to meet the demands of enterprises, physical computing networks may be logically divided into several virtual networks. A virtual network, such as a virtual local area network (VLAN), consists of virtual connections between network resources. Through the process of network virtualization, different virtual networks, the resources on those virtual networks, the network communication between devices on those virtual networks, etc. can be segregated from one another, even though they share the same physical resources.
One major problem associated with network virtualization involves network security. Traditional network security often relies on the physical interconnection between devices and the communication protocols that support those connections. Thus, traditional network security devices, which rely on traditional network data communication techniques, do not work in the virtual network environment.